Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-07-28
The Apiary.
How to Improve Our Bees.

That the bees of the present time are
capable of Improvement no one will de-
n.y. But just how to go to work to I'M
prove them is very important qnes-
tion worthy of the consideration of this
convention.
Having for several years given con-
siderable thought to this matter OF i'm
proving our bees, | will briefly outline
Il method that if carried out by a major
ity Of the bee-kcepers would nndoubt-
eddy in few years give good results.
In order to work understandings
the bee keeper must have in view Ger
tain points of excellence which must he
first obtained and then retained and inn
proved upon.
In order for bee-keepcr to know
what good points are already possessed
by his bees a record must be kept with
each colony, and good judgement used
in deciding upon their wlnterlng quail
tiles, disposition, etc.
shall take the ground that the first
and principal object in the keeping of
bees is the production of honey, but
there are several minor points that must
be taken into consideration Herewith.
Twill here introduce Il scale of points,
imperfect | am we'll aware, but it will
serve to illustrate my meaning.
10 every colony of bees that gather
sufficient stores for winter | would al
low one point, then for every iiItee n
pounds of extracted honey one more
point.
The next desirable quality to be
taken into consideration is hardness,
and ability to stand our unfavorablc
winter and spring weather. Colonies
that winter perfect y and come through
the spring without dwindling, should
be allowed three points. Next would
come character and disposition.
Ifa colony can be handled during a
flow of honey without stinsing, sprea!
out evenly upon the combs and rem ain
quiet while being examined, good to re-
mel robbers and moths, and not medulc
some, that Is not attempting to rob
weak colonies or putting ont thler keep
crs' eyes when unmolcstca, | would al
low three points.
Thus colony having perfect dispo-
sition, wintering perfectly and getting
IL pounls.of box honey or 80 pounds
ofrAtractcd honey, and haying sufficient
stores to winter, would score ten points.
| think excessive natural swarming
should he discouraged, consequently
would not allow any credit for swarms
cast, but would commence II new account
with the new swarm. The be- keeper
having kept a record with each colony
for one year is ready then to select say
about tour colonies that haYc the pre-
vious season scored the highest number
of points from every ten colonies, from
which to rear queens and lroncs, two of
the selected colonies to be used for the
rearing of drones and the remaining
two being used for rearing queens.
No droncs shonld he allowed to issue
from the other colonies selected for that
purpose.
There are several methods in use hv
bee keeper for rearing ard frrtllizlng
queens from those selected colonies that
will readily suggest themselves to the
advanced bee keeper, but ! wish to
briefly outline method that NAV be
of some benefit to the beginner.
The colonies for breeding purposes
should be selected as carly as the l2 h
of April or at least the first of May, in
this locality.
The colonies selected for droncs
should be given one or more sheets of
the cluster, and the bees and queens
stimulated by feeding if necessary to set
eggs placed in the drone comb as early
as. possible, as tie dronc will require
about IS days from the eggs to be of
service
believe queen cells started under
the natural swarming impulse are GER
family as good, if no better, than those
started by any other method, consc-
quently colonies selected for rearing
queens should be brought up to the
swarmins point early in May'lf possible
by cumulative feeding, and if necessary
by the addition of brood from other col
onics. Watch them closely and about
six or seven days after eggs have been
deposited in the queen cells remove the
old queen and a few bees to a new hive
and build them up again to a full colo
ny. In about six days after the remov-
al of the queen, divide the old colony